Kauai’s Coral Disease Classified as an Epidemic

November 30, 2012by KathalePiguenit

“Given the scale of the event, the large numbers of corals affected, and the consistent preponderance of a few agents (cyanobacteria and fungi) associated with gross lesions that look similar in both Makua and Anini, this outbreak would have to qualify as an epidemic. This is the first time a cyanobacterial/fungal disease on this scale has been documented in Hawaiian corals.” Dr. Thierry Work, head of USGS Infectious Diseases.

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